Air Quality District earmarks $5-million in public funds to pay for electric car charging stations

Electronic car owners in the Bay Area may soon have easier access to charging stations as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved $5 million in taxpayer-financed funding last week to go toward developing a regional electric vehicle charging infrastructure program.

Specifically, funds will support development of 3,000 home charging stations, 2,000 public charging stations and 50 charging stations near highways.

The Air District, the regional agency chartered with protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area, is working to establish a network of accessible charging sites where electric vehicle owners can conveniently recharge while conducting normal business, running errands or shopping.

The electronic vehicle charging stations and home chargers are part of the Air District's "Spare the Air" program.

"The past several years have seen exciting progress in the development of electric vehicle technology," Air District Executive Officer Jack Broadbent said in a prepared statement. "Crating a useful charging network will make it easier for Bay Area residents to 'Spare the Air' every day by going electric."

In the Bay Area, transportation accounts for more than 50 percent of air pollution, according to the Air District.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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Posted by Julia
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 9, 2010 at 8:51 pm

Why in the hell do the taxpayer's have to foot the bill for a few folks that will buy electric car's? People, you will be lucky if there are more than 2,000 of these silly units on the road. And believe me, if there are that many on the road...within a couple of years they will all be gone...except the charging station that no one will be using. Just another waste of money to make the dreamers fee good about nothing. Thanks for listening, Julia from Alamo

Posted by Sara
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 9, 2010 at 9:46 pm

Let me get this straight.

1. Obama, McNerney and other Democrats want to severely restrict coal mining which is instrumental in the production of electricity
2. Obama, McNerney and other Democrats want to push their Cap and Trade policy which will, among other negative consequences, deliberately make electricity prices skyrocket.
3. Electric cars of today cannot be driven over 100 miles, probably less, without a charge.
4. If more than a couple neighbors with electric cars had to recharge them at the same time, this could cause a regional brown-out
5. Americans on average don't want electric cars that can't go more than 100 miles without a charge.
6. If these cars were in demand, the private sector would have invested their own money...not the public's...into developing them.
7. The American public is screwed with Democrats in charge, dictating "what is best" for the rest of the country

"Inglis voted against the cap-and-trade climate legislation ... Instead, he proposed a revenue-neutral tax swap: Payroll taxes would be reduced, and the amount of that reduction would be applied as a tax on carbon dioxide emissions—mainly hitting coal plants and natural gas facilities. (This tax would be removed from exported goods and imposed on imported products—thus neutralizing any competitive advantage for China, India, and other manufacturing nations.)

Here was a conservative market-based plan. Did it receive any interest from House GOP leaders? Inglis shakes his head: "It's the t-word." Tax. He adds, "It's so contrary to the rhetoric we've got out there, to what Beck, Limbaugh, and others are saying."

For Inglis, this is the crux of the dilemma: Republican members of Congress know "deep down" that they need to deliver conservative solutions like his tax swap. Yet, he adds, "We're being driven as herd by these hot microphones—which are like flame throwers—that are causing people to run with fear and panic, and Republican members of Congress are afraid of being run over by that stampeding crowd." Inglis says that it's hard for Republicans in Congress to "summon the courage" to say no to Beck, Limbaugh, and the tea party wing. "When we start just delivering rhetoric and more misinformation...we're failing the conservative movement," he says. "We're failing the country." Yet, he notes, Boehner and House minority whip Eric Cantor have one primary strategic calculation: Play to the tea party crowd. "It's a dangerous strategy," he contends, "to build conservatism on information and policies that are not credible.""

Posted by Einstein
a resident of Mohr Park
on Aug 10, 2010 at 11:13 am

At present there are no vehicles which get over 100 miles without a charge. How much CO2 is generated in the production of electricity versus gasoline? If we really want to get real here we would be using diesel vehicles. The emissions of a european diesel is less than a hybrid and diesel fuel is quite easy to make. How does the BAAQMD have the authority to spend taxpayer money on items not voted for or agreed to? Is everyone aware that the BAAQMD is a redundant agency set up in the Bay Area? We should ask Scott Haggerty to explain how they work since they report directly to him and he is responsible for their appointments. We you aware that Jack Broadbent, CPO of BAAQMD, makes over $300,000 dollars per year?

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